Orlando Area (Clermont) Noob Checking In
Hi BP - I'm Lane. I'm a 28 year old contractor at a crossroad in my career. I own a small commercial/industrial construction firm in Ocala (about an hour north of Orlando). I'll save the why and the details for future posts, but I've decided to make some changes to my career.
I don't have any direct experience in real estate investing, but I have a Master's degree in Agricultural Economics and wrote my thesis on business geographical concentration and also got an MBA with a concentration in Real Estate along the way.
For my career, I'm considering a shift in my geographical focus from Ocala to the West Orange and Lake County areas and also moving toward residential construction/remodeling. I'm also exploring options outside of construction, but I don't see myself straying far from the real estate sector. Additionally, I hope to develop a role as a real estate investor as I progress.
I'm really interested in meeting and hearing from folks who've been down similar paths to my own. Also, I'd love to get involved in meetups in the Orlando area.
Hey! Welcome to BP! I am also a new investor from the Clermont, FL area. I have also been looking at getting involved in a REIA. The biggest one I've found is CFRI. I have not had the chance to attend a meeting yet, however there is one for Lake County tomorrow evening actually in Clermont. I'm looking forward to attending.
Good luck with your real estate investing!
Originally posted by @Lara Krakowiecki:
Hey! Welcome to BP! I am also a new investor from the Clermont, FL area. I have also been looking at getting involved in a REIA. The biggest one I've found is CFRI. I have not had the chance to attend a meeting yet, however there is one for Lake County tomorrow evening actually in Clermont. I'm looking forward to attending.
Good luck with your real estate investing!
Hey...I guess I'll see you there! The Holiday Inn is less than a mile from my house.
can you post a link with details for the clermont meet up?
https://www.cfri.net/Events.aspx?ID=CFRI-Lake-County-Chapter-26-1-13-2016
Hey @Lane Register, welcome to BP and the Central Florida investing community!
It sounds like you are a very accomplished individual, and your experience in construction and your education will serve you very well as an investor.
I was just having lunch with a friend/investor the other day, and we were lamenting the lack of quality residential contractors. There is huge demand in the residential sector, both for investors and retail clients.
CFRI is a great place to start, so is GOREIA.
I would check out both if you've got the time. The smaller county and focus groups are really great networking opportunities.
I just helped @Ryan Rupnarain buy a great rental in Clermont, he would be a good guy to connect with as well.
Also, here are a few tips to help you get the most out of BP:
Start here. You'll get a wealth of REI knowledge and learn how to take full advantage of Bigger Pockets (including how to connect with other Central Florida investors).
Listen to the podcasts , get active on the forums & set up key word alerts to be notified when people are discussing topics you're interested in.
I'm an agent/investor based in Orlando, so reach out anytime.
I wish you all the best Lane!
Welcome @Lane Register. The wealth information and networking opportunities I have been able to leverage though BP has been instrumental in my REI career thus far. I'm sure you'll be able to do the same. Definitely check out the resources @Andrew Davis mentioned above. I'm a big fan of the podcasts myself.